The Restaurant Industry Workforce Reached a Record High in May

This article first appeared in Nation’s Restaurant News.

Despite slowing employment trends, the recent rebound in job growth has pushed the industry’s workforce to a record high, according to the National Restaurant Association. As of May, employment is 105,300 jobs (or 0.9%) above February 2020 numbers.

Most of these jobs have been created in the limited-service sector, with coffee and snack segments outpacing pre-pandemic readings by 21%. Quick-service and fast-casual restaurants are 2.6% above pre-pandemic levels.

Conversely, full-service restaurant employment levels remain 237,000 jobs (or 4.2%) below pre-pandemic readings. 

States with the slowest employment recovery include West Virginia, which had more than 6% fewer eating and drinking place jobs versus April 2019. Massachusetts (-6%), Maryland (-5%), Vermont (-4%), and New Mexico (-4%) are also well below their pre-pandemic restaurant employment levels.

In contrast, restaurant employment in several of the mountain states has climbed well beyond pre-pandemic levels. This group is led by Idaho (+16%), Nevada (+14%), Utah (+14%), and Arizona (+11%). 

With May job numbers coming in high, Restaurant365 general manager of inventory and purchasing Joe Hannon said it could provide a much-needed bump in traffic.

“More people working usually means more people spending,” he said. “But there’s a flip side: a strong job market can make hiring harder and wage pressure tougher to manage. For operators, it’s all about balance. Focus on keeping your best team members, streamline where you can, and be ready to make the most of the busy season while staying smart about labor costs.”

Read the full article at Nation’s Restaurant News.